With the introduction of electromobility, the process of “filling up” has turned into a charging process for an electric vehicle. In particular, on the basis of the prior art, data communication between the electromobility components takes place before the charging process for the purpose of authentication.
In a charging process that is known from the prior art, the communication coupling between charging station and electric vehicle both for conductive and for inductive charging takes place fully automatically. The signaling and communication processes to date for conductive charging according to IEC 61466, IEC 62251 and according to the draft standards according to ISO/IEC 20822 are used to ensure electrical functional reliability on the basis of preconfigured parameterization, and allow energy network compatible control and planning of a charging process, reciprocal authentication of directly involved (primary) acting items such as an electric vehicle and a charging station and of indirectly involved (secondary) acting items, and the authorization of the charging process. The processes of authentication for an identity (identification) and authorization allow pre/postpaid billing for the electric power drawn for charging.
Such a method for identification between an electric vehicle and a charging station without interaction with a vehicle user is described in the laid-open specification DE 103 04 284 A1, for example. In one embodiment for the method, it is possible to transmit not just data for identification but also further data that can be used for an optimum charging process.
The U.S. application US 2011/0140835 A1 describes a method using data communication, protected by password encryption, for authentication between an electric vehicle and a charging station as a prerequisite for authorization of a charging process, wherein the data communication is effected via a wired or wireless network. Following termination of the charging process, the authentication is additionally used for correct assignment of an energy tax on an energy value drawn for charging with the electric vehicle involved in the charging process.
Whereas, when filling up with liquid fuel, there are significant risks of the fuel igniting while filling up, a charging process for a battery has considerable risks for the functional reliability of the battery and of other components involved in the charging process. The battery of the electric vehicle is a large cost factor, and damage is linked to a high level of financial risk. In addition, the charging process for electric vehicles, in contrast to traditional filling-up processes with liquid fuels, is usually an unsupervised process that possibly takes place in a public space. There is a potential for considerable damage to health to be caused; in the event of a fire or an explosion, there is particularly a danger to life and limb.
Therefore, checking and certifying the functional reliability of all components involved in the charging process is of considerable importance. A fundamental examination of the functional reliability of electromobility components, particularly of electric vehicles and charging stations, takes place in the design and manufacture process, during commissioning and during regular technical acceptance tests or examinations and is used for parameterization or observance of the parameterization of the aforementioned standards. For every intended charging process for the electric vehicle using a charging station in a public or private space, however, in order to increase safety it is again necessary to answer the question of whether the technical components of the vehicle and the charging station that are directly involved in the charging process are fully functional at the time of the scheduled charging process.